There are 16 causes of Neuropathy and there are many approaches you can use to reduce the discomfort of pain (pins & needles, burning or cold) or loss of sensation to prevent lesions & ulcers.
- Biomechanic modification is the very first approach to treating neuropathy. Only 50% of your foot is making contact with the ground at any one time and you want to make that 100% to offload the major weight bearing areas. Many times, neuropathy is reduced by simply improving how your foot functions which can reduce weightbearing pressure in your forefoot and heel. The best combination of treating neuropathy is orthotics and running shoes. Whether you use OTC units like Power Steps or custom-made orthotics depends on the direction of your podiatrist and your foot type. If you touch your finger to your opposite hand to the soft skin between your thumb and first finger and depress you finger ¼ inch into the skin and leave it there 30 days you will have a bruise or bleeding ulcer in 30 days. If you are sitting down reading this sentence for 30 days you will have a bedsore on each side of your buttocks. Shoes or socks that are too tight are a big reason for neuropathy in some individuals as your foot gets longer, wider or more swollen with certain metabolic or cardiovascular conditions as you age even past 90.
- B vitamins are essential and as you get older certain metabolic conditions or medications like Metformin can deplete B vitamins in your system. Also, every time you take oral vitamins there are 4 enzyme conversion pathways vitamins must undergo to get into your bloodstream. Each time the enzyme pathway activates you lose some potency of the vitamin. You could start off with 100% MDA in a vitamin but only get 25% active product in some individuals who have poor GI absorption. That is why B12 injections are given to bypass the GI track and get the full metabolic value. The only FDA approved means by which to reverse or reduce neuropathy is a Rx prescription product called Mentanx that is a synthetic B vitamin complex that bypasses the normal enzyme absorption pathways and works 25% of the time with a 90 trial period.
- There are many OTC antioxidant products like alpha lipoic acid (ALA) in combination with anti-inflammatories like Gamma linoleic Acid (GLA), Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and vitamin analogs like Benfotiamine (Vit B1),methylcarbylamine (B12) which any or all of these are found in OTC
- Rx prescription Topcal compounded preparations or OTC counterirritants like Capsaicin or hot pepper extract or Voltaren may help a significant number of individuals.. Recently CPB hemp or THC oil preparations have shown good pain reducers and anti-inflammatory actives.
- Nerve stimulation devices whether transdermal external electrical stimulation, surgically implanted nerve stimulation, or various electrical magnetic fields have all shown to help those who are resistant to oral therapies.
- If all the above treatments fail and pain becomes the primary complaint with neuropathy Rx prescription pain reduction are helped with 5 products; nortriptyline/amitriptyline (Elavil), Gabapentin (Neurontin), duloxetine (Cymbalta), mexiletine (Mexitil), & pregabalin (Lyrica). Results may be seen with one or combinations of these pain modifies. If all else fails opiates may be prescribed.
- If all else fails at any time you can use FootJelly™ with any of the above topical preparations or treatments. Silicone can help inflammation of the nerves and have a healing effect as well as the constant motion of the toes can help circulation to the feet improving neuropathic pain.